


Floating, Falling

by Jeanvalvernairdienjoleponius



Category: Fablehaven Series - Brandon Mull
Genre: space
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-26
Updated: 2016-12-26
Packaged: 2018-09-12 06:29:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9059554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jeanvalvernairdienjoleponius/pseuds/Jeanvalvernairdienjoleponius
Summary: Lena goes to space. That's it. She's just in space.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [40000Spiders](https://archiveofourown.org/users/40000Spiders/gifts).



Lena had gotten used to the zero gravity a thousand times faster than anyone else on her mission had, and it was driving them up the wall. She was here representing the United States of America on the International Space Station, and it was making her utterly homesick. The feel of floating effortlessly was so close to being back in the water, the clothes she wore billowing as she flew around, everything was so novel and yet so similar. She wanted to go home to her sisters, something that she’d never wanted to do until then. Age was catching up to her- she looked forty compared to the twenty of a hundred years ago. She barely young enough to be an astronaut, and yet, here she was.

The view was by far the best thing. The big, blue orb spinning before her teemed with life, human life, and it fascinated her. The men and women that surrounded her were smart, brave, kind people who were just as fascinated daily with the view as she was. Lena smiled and laughed around them, easing off the loneliness that always caught up with her. She was the first to learn Russian so that she could talk with the rest of the group, and they loved her for it. She was one of the few who didn’t care about the tensions put between Russia and the United States after the Cold War had ended, and she was a gap between the two groups of people. Her only wish was that she could stay in her wonder-world of research and exploration forever. However, what goes up must come down. They were preparing for their home mission.

Lena took a near final look at the growth of the crystals onboard, writing down what few observations she’d had. What she wanted was to have a long last look out the window, but it would appear that she was unable to do that at the moment. A large man, Tonye, flew up to her with a grin. “Well, this is it.” He said, voice full of pride as his ability to talk to her. He was the Russian most hopeless in English, the one Lena had spent the most time with. She smiled at him. 

“I don’t know if I want to go or if I want to stay and watch the Earthrise.” Lena whispered wistfully, staring at the vast expanse of space outside her window. She pushed off and allowed herself to float without anything to do for perhaps the last time in her life. The rest of her crew were meeting the new crew, so she knew she ought to join them. 

Each person brought their own things, their beloved treasures that meant the most to them. They weren’t allowed to bring much for themselves other than personal pictures, and it fascinated her to look like at these things. She smiled at the pictures of families, of children, dogs, cats, birds, water, nebulae, stars, and satellites. Each and every one of those men was a different person who would live their short 100 year life with their own defined purpose, something that she could never understand. 

After the commotion of new people, Lena looked through the window on the other side and traced the stars she saw into constellations. Everything was endlessly beautiful and she loved it. The way the stars lit the dark sky, the way the Earth constantly changed, how she could see each cloud and tell where it was raining, the way she saw the sunlight reflecting off of the moon, and the crew that surrounded her all amazed her. The world was fascinating and Lena was determined to make the most of it while she still could. She stared out the window for as long as she was allowed, burning the image of space into her brain so she could recant it when she returned home. The Sorensons would be so excited.

**Author's Note:**

> For Cosmo. You're great and I hope you love this.


End file.
